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Oleksandr Usyk retained his heavyweight titles after a controversial late stoppage against Rico Verhoeven, despite the challenger leading on one scorecard.
Kickboxing superstar Rico Verhoeven almost got the better of Oleksandr Usyk (X)
Oleksandr Usyk is still undefeated. Still the unified heavyweight champion.
But for a few chaotic moments in Egypt, it genuinely looked like his reign was about to collapse. And when the ending finally came, controversy followed immediately.
Rico Verhoeven just had his win over Oleksandr Usyk STOLEN by the ref‼️Dominating Usyk as a 1-0 boxer and they stop the fight AFTER THE BELL⁉️#UsykRico pic.twitter.com/eWN5lHRgON
— Combat Casuals (@Combat_Casuals) May 23, 2026
Usyk retained his heavyweight titles with an 11th-round stoppage victory over kickboxing superstar Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza on Saturday night, but the manner of the finish instantly divided the combat sports world.
The fight was waved off with just one second remaining in Round 11. One mere second.
The Controversial Finish
The drama exploded late in the penultimate round when Usyk finally appeared to break through Verhoeven’s resistance with a crushing uppercut that sent the Dutchman to the canvas.
Verhoeven beat the count and got back to his feet, but Usyk immediately swarmed him with another barrage of heavy punches as the clock ticked down.
That’s when referee Mark Lyson stepped in and stopped the fight.
The problem? There was barely any time left in the round.
Social media erupted almost instantly, while DAZN’s broadcast team openly debated whether the stoppage had come too early, especially considering Verhoeven was still upright and defending himself.
Scorecards Add Fuel To The Fire
The controversy only intensified once the judges’ scorecards were revealed.
The official scorecards for Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven 🚨▫️ Two judges had it even▫️ One judge had Verhoeven up by ONE round
Boxing is DISGUSTING 🤮 pic.twitter.com/32FMTDmAi4
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) May 23, 2026
At the time of the stoppage, two judges had the fight level at 95-95, while the third surprisingly had Verhoeven ahead 96-94.
That revelation completely changed the perception of the finish.
Rather than Usyk cruising toward another dominant title defence, the scorecards suggested the fight was hanging dangerously close heading into the final round.
And that made the referee’s intervention even more contentious.
Verhoeven Wanted The Final Round
Verhoeven, the kickboxer who was up against one of boxing’s all-time greats, felt he deserved the chance to continue.
“I wanted the referee to let me go out on my shield or let me go in the 12th,” Verhoeven said afterwards.
“I felt we were pretty even on the scorecards.”
Usyk, meanwhile, appeared open to a rematch during his post-fight interview.
But before that can happen, the WBC is reportedly expected to order the Ukrainian to defend his title against mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel next.
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